Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, on Tuesday called on opposition parties in the country to form a coalition.
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party noted that Nigeria needs a strong opposition to stop the All Progressives Congress (APC) from “turning” the country into a one-party state.
Receiving a delegation from the National Executive Committee of the Inter-Party Advisory Council Nigeria (IPAC), Atiku said if there is no viable opposition, the nation’s hard-earned democracy will suffer.
His words: “You have come here today to say that we should cooperate in order to promote democracy.
“But the truth of the matter is that our democracy is fast becoming a one-party system, and of course, you know that when we have a one-party system, we should just forget about democracy.
“We have all seen how the APC is increasingly turning Nigeria into a dictatorship of one party.
“If we don’t come together to challenge what the ruling party is trying to create, our democracy will suffer for it, and the consequences of it will affect the generations yet unborn.
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“The project of protecting democracy in our country is not about just one man.”
The former vice president also criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the conduct of the general and cycle polls.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission conducted the worst general election in the country.
“Recently, again in the off-season election in three states, INEC doubled down on its disregard for the tenets of our democracy.
“We all can see how INEC declared a result in Kogi state where the total number of votes cast is higher than the total number of accredited voters in one local government.
“We cannot have a healthy democracy in an environment where all INEC does is to deliver the ruling party at all costs.
“Until our elections pass the test of transparency through electronic voting, it will be difficult for INEC to regain its credibility, and our democracy will be the first casualty of such a situation,” Atiku added.
